Wordless Wednesdsy - On a Thursday!

Schedule fail again. Sorry. x

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Fearne Cotton Eyeshadow Competiton Extension!

Just to let you know, I've extended this competition for another week due to people having problems entering via the widget. Hopefully this extra time will allow for everybody who wants to enter, to do so without issues now. :-)

Good luck. x

Enter here!

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Boots Star Gift of the Week - Sanctuary Top to Toe Tin!

Wow, where has the year gone? I've only just realised that due to it not even occurring to me what time of year it actually is, that I've totally been missing the Boots Star Gift of the Week promotions that I'd usually tell you all about.

Anyway, this is just a quick post to let you know that this week there's a lovely looking Sanctuary 'Top to Toe Tin' gift set available for £19, less than 50% (just) of it's normal £40 price tag. They have a cool little video showing you the products on the site, but I'm embedding it here so you can watch it here.


Contains:

•     Body Wash (250ml)
•     Body Lotion (250ml)
•     Spa Skin Body Polisher
•     Radiance Exfoliator (100ml)
•     Fresh Faced Purifying Wash (140ml)
•     Spa Facial Headband
•     Pumice Foot Scrub (50ml)
•     Moisture Rich Foot Butter (50ml)
•     Spa Pedicure Foot File

I am tempted to get this for my aunty, I know she loves Sanctuary products so this would be a perfect gift for her this Christmas. Will you be purchasing it too? x

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Selfies?!

I have never felt as awkward as I did in the toilets of that club, in those moments. The things I do for you guys. ;-)

Selfie – "a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website". Now unless you've been living under a rock for the last few days, you'll know that this word was recently named the word of the year by the Oxford English Dictionary, which is utterly pointless, but true all the same. ;-)

I'm not entirely sure why selfies have become such 'big business' in recent times, nor why so many people appear have such a problem with them. Yes I've seen plenty of girls firing out masses of duckfaced selfies, pouting like their life depended on it; and the 'pumped' lads tensing every inch of their being to get that 'I'm so buff, fancy me please' selfie, and whilst they do look absolutely ridiculous doing this in a serious manner, it's not actually harming anybody so I struggle to have any real issue with it.

The fact is, I think most of us take selfies these days, just more 'acceptable' ones. Maybe it's because you've got ready for a night out and thought you'd scrubbed up quite well but live alone so only have yourself available for photograph duties, or maybe you're always taking photographs of others and just want a pic in there of yourself so it actually looks like you've been at an event/existed. Whatever the reason, I'm sure we have all done it.

I'm 'guilty' of this myself these days, especially whilst trying to get over my camera fear... and also trying to figure out/find my 'camera face'. You know, the one you know you look ok-ish doing in pictures when you actually feel really awkward?! Because, as a prolific camera avoider over the years, I've lost any sense of knowing what to do with my face or body, when faced with a lens pointing at me. Ha.

I'd also say that us bloggers take lots of selfies when showing Face/Outfit of the Days, or swatches of products on the face etc. Does this mean we're all a bunch of 'Selfie Wankers'? I certainly hope not. ;-)

What's your opinion on the selfie? Do you take them? Are you offended by them? :-)

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

My Littlewoods Shopping Wishlist!

I'm a prolific online window shopper! I'm always adding thousands of pounds worth of stuff I'd like to have in my life into virtual shopping trollies... usually with the intention of whittling it all down to maybe just one or 2 things that I *must* own and that my bank balance can stretch to, but without the decisiveness to actually do so.

So, when I was asked to make a wishlist of things I'd like from Littlewoods, I jumped straight on it as this is totally my forte. As usual, when adding products to my wishlist, I went TOTALLY overboard, so I then had to limit myself to just my favourite 8 items from each of the departments I was 'shopping' from.

First stop was Littlewoods range of Jewellery, and I'd say this was probably the hardest department to limit myself to just 8 items in, due to the sheer volume of different items available added to my magpie 'shiny shiny' tendencies. I tried to do a mix of fashion and more classic products, as I do like both... they all have a place in my jewellery box, but I do love a statement piece of jewellery. The products I've chosen relate to each of the links below, numerically.

1. Lipsy Bow Stretch Bracelet, £15
2. Fiorelli Stretch Crystal Wide Bracelet, £42
3. PIECES Knot Necklace, £27
4. Sterling Silver and Purple Cubic Zirconia Ring, £55,
5. Tanzanite and Silver Ring, £117
6. 9 Carat White Gold 50 Point Diamond Cluster Ring, £326
7. 9 Carat White Gold, White Topaz, Diamond Set, Radiance Set Ring, £276
8. Sterling Silver and Pink and White Cubic Zirconia Ring, £19

Total spent: £877.

Next up I headed to Littlewoods range of Women's Jackets, since I've been desperate for a winter coat or 3 for some time now, since losing all the weight, as everything is way too big. There's a mixture of styles included here because to be honest, I'm still not entirely sure which style will suit me more these days.  Before, I used to just go for items that fit me and were quite loose in fitting so as not to show my numerous lumps and bumps. however I do like the look of all of these, and so that's why I chose them.

1. South Leather Biker Jacket, £139
2. South Fur Lined Biker Jacket, £60
3. Love Label Dolly Fur Collar Coat, £85
4 Superdry Eskimo Cape, £118
5. Lipsy Belted Coat, £105
6. Definitions Lux Military Parka, £110
7. Vero Moda Yatsy Padded Coat, £44
8. Myleene Klass Genuine Leather Biker Jacket, £160

Total spent:  £821.

Finally, I found myself loitering in Littlewoods range of Lipsy Dresses, because again, now I've lost weight, I am a total sucker for a pretty party dress; and, since we're rapidly heading towards party season, I thought what better way to warm up than by choosing some of my favourite dresses from the range.

1. Lipsy Bandage and Lace Dress, £68
2. Lipsy Bodycon Illusion Dress, £74
3. Lipsy Jersey Bodycon Dress, £62
4. Lipsy Lace Detail Bodycon Dress, £74
5. Lipsy VIP Lace Feather Dress, £142
6. Lipsy Sleeveless Sequin Lace Dress, £44
7. Lipsy Shimmer Bandeau Dress, £60
8. Lipsy Cap Sleeve Dress with Stud Detail, £62

Total spent: £586.

So, there you have it... my 8 favourites from each of just 3 of the Littlewoods ranges available online. Being the indecisive madam I am, this was actually incredibly difficult to do; and should I ever be asked to further whittle it down to less than these 8 items per department, well I just don't think that would be possible, I would be totally bamboozled and probably end up in an indecisive heap on the floor. Ha.

My only wish, is that these items were being sent to me right now, instead of still only being a distant dream in my virtual trolley.


What do you think to my choices? Are there any items from the ranges that you'd have picked differently? x

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Wella Wednesday: New Hair.

New hair time, well similar to before but just slight tweaks in that I wanted the orange brightening again as it had started to dull, and there's also a different pink in there too, but it's subtle... I want it brighter next time. :-) I also had just about an inch taken off all over and a few long layers kept in.

I must say, I am not getting bored at all with my main colour, or the orange but I did toy with the idea of having a bluey/turquoise as my contrast colour, or very bright pink (or both)... maybe I'll go for that in my next appointment, or the one after. I do love the bright shades, and am getting them done whilst I'm still just about young enough to pull it off, ha.

As it was applied.

When dry, both straight and then curled.

The technique the dye was applied in is called Flashlights, and is apparently where hair is going now that Ombré and Dip Dying are apparently 'fizzling out'. Basically, on my hair it's my normal hair colour, then pink, then orange then pink again.. so it's not just the one shade in each length of hair.

Back and front, styled.

The colour I have on my main bit of hair is Koleston with a shade mixed up for me, made up of: 55/65 with 0/65, 0/28 and 8/81 (roots and mid lengths) with makes a slightly lighter pinky, purple-y, red shade; and then also Magma for the pink and orange parts. Magma lifts and colours at the same time, so effectively cuts out having to pre-lighten/bleach and is permanent.

To style, I had it blown with volume, and then curled using the new Wella straighteners (not yet out), before having the curls combed and shaken through to loosen, and set with hairspray. I love it.

What do you think, like it?

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Competition: WIN a Fearne Cotton 'From Dusk 'Til Dawn Eyes' Set.

No Flash.

Flash.

I've been ill this week with flu like symptoms, and have also had internet issues, so haven't been able to post anything up for you to read. So, to make it up to you, and as a quick post that I can get live before my net drops again, I thought it would be nice to run another little competition.

This time the prize is a 'From Dusk Til Dawn Eyes' eyeshadow set from the Fearne Cotton makeup range. The set consists of 3 lovely shades, that appear to be shimmery in finish - I've photographed very quickly, both with flash and without. I thought this would be a nice thing to give away since it's getting close to Christmas and this would either make a lovely gift, or be a lovely set to use over the festive period, with the shimmer finish.

All you have to do to enter is fill in, and do at least one activity from the competition form below AND be a follower of the blog via GFC or Bloglovin, simple eh.

Competition ends on Wednesday 4th December at midnight (so that's basically late Tuesday night, just for clarification). I've extended it as I've had a few people email me telling me they're having problems with the widget and entering.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

L'OREAL Colour Ombrés Hair Colouring Kit in Copper WINNER!

The winner of my L'OREAL competition from last week is:

Jayne Bojang.

I have emailed you, but have yet to hear back. Please contact me to arrange delivery of your prize. x

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

November 2013 Decleor Today's Special Value/TSV on QVC - Midnight Tonight!

I don't have many details right now, but I have had a few of you ask about this. I am told it's due to be on the 9th of November (so midnight tonight, guys), and Fiona Brackenbury added this photograph to her Facebook/Twitter accounts so I thought I'd post it up for those who haven't yet seen it. No price details as yet, they're embargoed until midnight, when you'll find out yourselves anyway. x

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Viviscal & Look Good Feel Better Charity Project: Your Hair Confessions!

I am a sucker for a good cause. I like to be able to help anybody, whenever/wherever I can and always donate what time/money I can to various charities too.

So, when I got an email through this morning, telling me about Viviscal and their campaign to both uncover the true meaning of a 'Good Hair Day' and raise money for Look Good Feel Better by donating £1 every time somebody in the UK fills in the survey on their Hair Confessions site, I immediately set to work in writing this post in the hope that I too could help to raise awareness, and also encourage every one of my readers in the UK to fill in the survey.

Look Good Feel Better is a charity that is 'dedicated to improving the self-esteem and quality of life of people undergoing treatment for cancer', something that I think is just as important as the cancer treatment itself.

How you look affects how you feel, and I'm betting every one of you knows what it's like to have a bad hair/makeup/skin or whatever day; you know, one where you go out just not feeling yourself, feeling self conscious and generally rubbish because your hair wouldn't curl properly or your foundation looks a bit cakey etc. So, if I was going through treatment for cancer, and had lost my hair in the process, or had to have my breast(s) removed, I'd imagine that I'd feel pretty low, on top of already feeling poorly and having my body battered by the various treatments available... and that just can't help matters at all.

So I'm asking you all, if you live in the UK, please please go over to the 'Viviscal Hair Confessions' site and fill in the survey. Also, please do share this post to all your friends and followers too as the more people that fill in the survey, the more money LGFB will receive, and the more people they'll be able to help. It only takes a little bit of your time, and you will be entered into a prize draw to win 3 month supply of Viviscal hair supplements, and a grand prize of a trip to LA on Oscar weekend 2014 - although I'd personally fill it in without the prize incentive.

If you're not in the UK, please feel free to forward this post to anybody who is. x

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Wordless Wednesday... on a Thursday (Scheduling Failed)!

Just a little post today as I am poorly, but I wanted to show you this product before I tried it out anyway! It looks brilliant, and such a good idea... don't you think? I'll be trying it out in a club, and reporting back what I think very soon.

Hope you're all well and not suffering the lurgy like I am. x

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

WIN a L'OREAL Colour Ombrés Hair Colouring Kit in Copper!

So, it's Bonfire Night tonight, and I thought I'd celebrate it by hosting a little giveaway on here as I haven't done one in quite a while. In keeping with the theme of the day, I thought it only right that I gave away this nifty little ombré hair colour kit from L'OREAL Paris, in the copper shade, since it's kind of fiery colour-wise.

All you have to do to enter is fill in, and do at least one activity from the competition form below and be a follower of the blog via GFC or Bloglovin, simple eh.

On a separate note, feel free to leave a comment below with what you plan to get up to later on. I'm off to a huge bonfire in Manchester, with my friends. It's my first bonfire in years (now I'm out of boring mode) and I'm expecting it to be loooooads of fun. x

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Angle Cut Wig: Hairdo by Ken Paves!

Back in July I decided it would be a fun idea to see if I could fool my friends on Facebook with a short blond wig that I bought. I haven't actually worn it out seriously as I do love my own hair and always end up just styling that instead, but I do quite like it regardless.

As I walked in to see my dad and step mum with it on to ask their opinion, I saw my neighbour and she didn't even recognise me, which encouraged me to take the images above (I wasn't actually naked, by the way).

This gave me the perfect status update to play my prank when I updated my profile with the first image in the collage and the accompanying status: "Haha my neighbour didn't recognise me then with my new hair..." to which I got a tonne of replies, basically saying how amazing it looked. To the point that I actually felt guilty and went out partying, wondering how I'd break the news that it was actually a wig, ha!

To say I fooled them was an understatement, and even a few weeks later when I took the wig to a party and plonked it on my head, I got a message from an old friend asking if this picture of me (see below), captured at an after party whilst I was drunk, was an old image (as I used to have hair similar to this myself), or if I'd had my hair cut/dyed. I even have my red hair showing through, so it must be convincing, haha.

The wig is by Ken Paves, who is a celebrity hairdresser, and is made from 'Tru2Life' fibre, which basically means that you can style the hair using heated stylers, but apparently not ones that are *too* hot, such as GHDs.

This particular wig, the 'Angle Cut Wig' in Ginger Blonde is based on the now famous crop cut that he did for Victoria Beckham (and this was also a style I actually sported back in the day (aged about 17, as previously mentioned) and whilst it isn't real hair, it does appear to be very convincing to others. This is an essential to me when wearing a wig that isn't a novelty style or colour, especially considering its price point of £95 (although it's currently on sale at £85 at HotHair, as linked above).

Overall, I do think this wig is a good purchase if you like to change your look without actually going for the chop or reaching for the bleach/dye. It is comfy to wear, and not *too* hot either... and whilst it hasn't had a great amount of use, I know that should I want to rock the short, blonde look at any point, I will be happy to wear this, as I know I can easily fool people whilst doing so.

Do you wear wigs? Would you wear a wig like this?

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Fat Girl Slim - My Before & After Images!

2007 - possibly the only pictures of me that I've got at almost my heaviest. Below are images from Summer this year.

I used to be fat. Like 6 stone (almost) heavier. Mostly due to Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, but still, nobody cares WHY you’re fat; they just see the large person stood in front of them. I was never happy being larger, since I’d always been a size 10-12 in the past. I lost interest in myself, didn’t see the point of trying to find too many nice clothes, since I felt horrific in anything I put on, I avoided cameras like a professional (hence why I’ve found it so difficult to find images of me whilst so heavy), and looking back at images from events and nights out I’d been to/on, it was like I barely existed at all.

• At my heaviest, I weighed 16 stone 2, possibly a couple of lbs more, I stopped weighing myself you see. I think I must have been a size 20-22 and I was miserable. Thankfully I lost 2.5 stone when I went on my medication for the PCOS (basically the reason I got large), with the weight coming off slowly but surely with that. However, this year, the rest of the weight (3 stone) dropped off me, kick started by the heartbreak diet after my fiancé of almost a decade had an affair and left in March, but continued (I think) by my active weekends in clubs, dancing off the flab.I now weigh between 9 stone 4lbs and 9 stone 6lbs. My aim is to get to 9 stone with the final bit of toning up I need/want to do.

Heavy August last year.

Me this year in the last 2 images.

Anyway, I’ve been asked a few times by people to put up before and after images and I was in 2 minds about whether to do so or not because I felt so hideous about myself in the before images, but then thought ‘why not?’ because I’ve actually achieved something pretty decent, and should be proud of this. So, this is a huge amount of images, apologies for this – as I’ve basically used all my fat photographs, and tried to find as many images as possible to contrast with them for you and show you what I look like throughout this year.

Even dresses that I squeezed into when I was larger, but not at my largest, I've been able to wear (just about) now I'm slimmer and I can't believe the massive difference in just a few dress sizes, as you can see above.

I obviously wouldn't recommend the heartbreak diet, but this wasn't in my control and I fully believe it shocked my body into dropping weight quicker than it had been on my medication alone. As mentioned above, I still want, and need to tone up, because after an almost 6 stone weight loss there is lose skin and still a small layer of fat but this is something I will be working on from now, until I achieve my goal.

I didn't even realise the difference, until I had to convince friends that I did actually weigh so much more by showing them my before pictures. Madness.

I still see myself as the larger girl for the most part, and when I buy my sized clothing, I look at it when it arrives and think 'I'm never going to fit into that'... but then I do, and I honestly can never believe it. This was especially the case with the 'Letto' dress above, by Forever Unique at Chic Boutique, which I've just noticed has been reduced in the sale from £110 to a bargainous £55, and well worth every penny as the dress is gorgeous and I always receive tonnes of compliments when I wear it - full review on this coming soon.

Have you lost weight yourself? Have you ever experienced this 'fat girl mentality' after weight loss? Do you want to lose weight? Tell me your stories. x

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk